A user-replaceable receptacle for an oxygen concentrator includes a containment structure and a desiccant disposed within the containment structure. An inlet end of the containment structure allows feed gas to be introduced into the desiccant. An outlet end of the containment structure allows the feed gas to exit the containment structure. A connection mechanism couples the outlet end of the containment structure to a gas separation adsorbent. The connection mechanism is operable between an unconnected position and a connection position. The desiccant in the user-replaceable receptacle removes water moisture from the feed gas prior to exiting the outlet end of the containment structure, thereby reducing exposure of the gas separation adsorbent to water.

The invention relates to a ventilator comprising a gas source, at least one gas path and a patient conduit and at least two valves, each of the valves having at least indirectly a port for the surrounding air and each of the valves being at least temporarily connected to the gas source and/or the patient conduit so as to conduct gas.

A respiratory conduit has a hollow tube having an inlet, an outlet, a longitudinal axis, and defining a fluid flow path. Along at least a length of the tube, an outer surface of the tube has alternate ridges and grooves. The respiratory conduit also has a sheath surrounding at least a portion of the length of the tube, the sheath has alternate attachment portions and bridging portions. The attachment portions contact the ridges of the tube. The bridging portions extend across the grooves of the tube. Each bridging portion has a span length being the distance in the longitudinal direction between adjacent attachment portions, and a depth being the maximum distance in a radial direction between a point on the bridging portion and a point on one of the adjoining attachment portions. The depth of the bridging portion is greater than zero.

A biocontainment assembly for use with a patient suspected of having or diagnosed with a transmissible disease(s) capable of respiratory, airborne, contact, or droplet transmission includes a housing configured to be positioned over and at least partially enclose a head, neck, and/or torso of the patient. A sidewall of the housing includes an open portion contiguous with an at least partially pen bottom portion of the housing, sized to fit over at least a portion of the head, neck, and/or a torso of the patient. The housing also includes an airflow opening for evacuating fluid from an interior defined by the housing. The assembly also includes a drape configured to extend across the open portion of the sidewall having a first portion removably connected to the housing and an opposing second portion configured to be draped over the torso, abdomen, waist, and/or legs of the patient.

Systems and methods for producing nitric oxide (NO) to be used in medical applications are provided. In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided for a NO generator that is capable of generating a desired concentration of NO to be provided to a respiratory system for inhalation by a patient.

A breathing assistance apparatus includes an inner volumetric member pressurizable from a first pressure to a second pressure and an outer volumetric member surrounding at least a portion of the inner expandable volumetric member. The inner volumetric member pressurizes the outer volumetric member as the inner volumetric member is pressurized from the first pressure to the second pressure. In another embodiment, a breathing assistance apparatus includes exhalation and inhalation chambers with respective biasing members providing for the exhalation chamber to apply a pressure to the inhalation chamber and thereby provide assisted inhalation. Methods for assisting breathing are also provided.

Automation for a system and/or method detects and/or controls treatment of inspiratory flow limitation. The system may include a flow rate sensor configured to generate a signal representing a respiratory flow rate of a patient. It may include a recording device configured to record the generated respiratory flow rate signal during a diagnosis session. It may include a computing device (7040) configured to detect a degree of inspiratory flow limitation of the patient on the recorded respiratory flow rate signal. The method may include extracting an inspiratory portion of each breath during a detection and/or monitoring session from a respiratory flow rate signal of the patient, calculating a feature vector from each inspiratory flow portion, labelling each feature vector as flow limited or not flow limited, and/or computing a metric based on the labels, the metric indicating the degree of inspiratory flow limitation of the patient during the session.

Resuscitation/ventilation systems that include a pressure chamber or cylinder may use a piston articulated within the pressure chamber or shaft to push air and/or a mixture of gas and air into and out of an airway circuit for the purpose of providing mechanical ventilation and/or artificial respiration to a patient. In some cases, the pressure chamber or cylinder may be resident within a canister that fits with a body. The canister may include a motor that moves a shaft connected to the piston up and down, or in and out, within the pressure chamber or cylinder and this movement of the piston may cause a vacuum within the airway circuit and/or the pushing of air or gas out of the airway circuit into a patient’s lung(s).

Methods and apparatus may implement controlled generation of oxygen enriched air in an oxygen concentrator while implementing control that reduces pneumatic imbalance between the concentrator's canisters, such as dynamic pressure imbalance or other pneumatic characteristic. One or more controllers may regulate operation of a compressor that feeds a pressurised air stream to the concentrator's canisters. This may regulate speed of the compressor to a speed set point for generating the pressurised stream. The regulating may involve generating a compressor control signal having a characteristic parameter such as a power parameter. The controller(s) may operate valve(s) in a cyclic pattern so as to produce oxygen enriched air in an accumulator. A cycle of the cyclic pattern may include a plurality of phases, where each of the plurality of phases has a duration. The controller(s) may then generate a dynamic adjustment to the duration(s) based on an evaluation of the characteristic parameter.

Systems and methods are provided for aerosolizing and delivering therapeutic substances in an electronic aerosol delivery device with airflow regulation. Calibrated airflow resistance settings enable adjustment and control of flow velocity and or flow volume of air, aerosolized air, and or entrained aerosol particles, through the device, for optimal aerosol delivery among diverse conditions and applications.